Juliet
by JediKnightBalthasar
Summary: Before TPM, Obi-Wan Kenobi befriends a young girl. When the Council considers sending her to Agricorps, Obi-Wan steps in, and our story begins... *COMPLETE*Please read and review!! PG-13 for safety
1. Default Chapter

The first time Obi-Wan Kenobi met Juliet, he didn't think much about her. She had been nine, at the time. She had a typical haircut of a male Jedi apprentice, but her face was very feminine. Of course, the only thing the Obi-Wan had been thinking was 'Ow!'  
  
Juliet had stood up and brushed herself off, having fallen on the ground. She picked up the datasheets she'd dropped, and muttered to herself angrily. "Sorry," she said, "I wasn't paying a lot of attention to where I was going."  
  
"No, you weren't, and that's a very dangerous idea. You could be seriously injured doing a thing like that."  
  
Juliet wasn't one to make excuses, but this one had to be made. "Well, I had to get to class. I'd been researching some stuff, and I needed to get my data to my quarters before class. It was interesting research, and I lost track of the time."  
  
"What were you researching?" asked Obi-Wan.  
  
"The Lost 20. Only I found some information about a boy who'd left the order for a short time, then rejoined it, and I was really interested."  
  
Obi-Wan suddenly felt nervous. "Why-why did this person leave?"  
  
"He found a cause he thought was greater."  
  
Obi-Wan became even more nervous. She was talking about him!  
  
The girl didn't notice this, and she continued, "Actually, he'd be about your age. Did you know a person called--" she checked her information- -"Obi-Wan Kenobi?"  
  
"Yes, I did know him. I knew him very well, in fact." Obi-Wan knew he couldn't lie, but he could evade certain truths.  
  
"Really? Do you know why he left? All it said in the Temple's data- bases was that he found a cause he thought was greater."  
  
"Yes, I know why he left. He found a planet in civil war called Melida/Daan. He got to know some of the people there, and he left to fight with them. But don't judge him. He didn't fully understand what he was doing, or about war."  
  
"I think he was noble, if a little impulsive. Why did he come back?"  
  
"He learned that things were not as they seemed."  
  
Juliet understood completely. She knew that she, too, would learn this lesson, and that it was rarely an easy lesson to learn. She hoped she would not have to take such drastic measures to learn it. Just as Juliet was beginning to say something, Qui-Gon Jinn, who had been Obi-Wan's Master at the time, came up to them, looking for Obi-Wan.  
  
"Obi-Wan, you're late," Qui-Gon said. Juliet's eyes widened.  
  
"You're Obi-Wan Kenobi?" she asked, amazed that she had just had a conversation about a person without knowing she was talking to him. Obi-Wan had no idea whom to answer first.  
  
Finally, he said, "I'm sorry I was late, Master. I was talking to this student about Melida/Daan." He turned to Juliet. "Yes, I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. And shouldn't you be in class?"  
  
"Oh, no! Now I'm really late!" She took off running. Obi-Wan didn't bother to tell her to slow down.  
  
  
  
  
  
When I find myself in times of trouble  
  
Mother Mary comes to me  
  
Speaking words of wisdom  
  
Let it be  
  
Over the course of a year, Obi-Wan got to know Juliet a lot better. He also knew her addiction to trouble. Juliet would do the strangest things for reasons nobody could understand. In time, he would understand.  
  
Possibly the most memorable of Juliet's escapades was the butterfly ball. That is an origami structure made of a number of small pieces. When one finishes it, one throws it in the air and hits it. The ball explodes into tiny pieces. Juliet, having heard of this, made her own butterfly ball, a module of 50 pieces. When a small crowd had gathered, she went to the top of the waterfall in the Room of A Thousand Fountains, threw the ball in the air, and bam!  
  
50 tiny sheets of paper, looking like 50 butterflies, floated down and landed in the lake. The effect was magical. It was like there were butterflies fluttering down. For a minute or so, the Temple was more alive than ever. Juliet stood in the stream, the current tugging at her legs, loving the happiness she had brought. Of course, Mace Windu did think the same thing.  
  
It wasn't anger that drove her to do it. It was instead the look on the faces of her fellow students, ranging from four to twelve. She had never seen them so happy. Seven days passed after the butterfly ball incident. Juliet spent most of her time in meditation, as was assigned to her for the incident. However, after seven days, Juliet was back.  
  
As soon as Juliet entered the Room of a Thousand Fountains, students saw what she had with her. Soon, a rather large crowd had gathered. Juliet stood at the top of the waterfall again. She looked down, and waved. Then, as her form was blurred by a false sun, she let fly the hundred butterflies she had worked into the model.  
  
This time, she had rubbed soap onto the papers.  
  
"Why did you do this?" asked Mace Windu, a bit ticked off.  
  
"I did this because I saw how happy the students were the first time. I wanted to try it--just once more." Juliet replied.  
  
"To make people happy?"  
  
"Yes, Master. To make people happy."  
  
"What makes this your job, hmm?" Yoda asked. "Why in your hands the happiness of the students is?"  
  
"I found it to be my task because it was a task I could handle, and if, five years from now my story is passed on as that of a crazy child, then it's okay. It's great, in fact, because people will laugh at me and they will be happy. And if, tonight, one child goes to sleep thinking of a hundred butterflies, then it was worth it even more."  
  
Another story of Juliet is one that would give her no name, as the butterfly ball had. A tradition at the Jedi Temple was that of Sith. On certain nights, children would sneak out of their rooms to listen to tales of the Sith, dark warriors. Juliet's generation was no exception. However, Juliet had some tales that were slightly different.  
  
It would soon become well known that if anybody wanted to hear a truly brilliant tale, they'd come to the waterfall every sixth night. There, tales would be told of hobbits and rings, of kings and wizards, of strange little boys called Harry Potter, or bears called Pooh. And they would be told by Juliet.  
  
Generations later, these tales would be told. Juliet would not be mentioned, and the stories would change a little. Nobody cared. Everybody loved them.  
  
It was Juliet who brought the Temple basketball. The idea was that, since the students often had free time, there would be another option for what to do. Juliet really thought that it seemed fun, so she strung some baskets from trees and scrounged a ball. The students remembered Juliet, and were more than willing to learn.  
  
Two weeks later, after Juliet had justified this game to Yoda, came the first injury. Juliet was playing a rather crowded game, so it was a small surprise when the ball bashed her in the face. She bit into her lip, and blood gushed from her mouth. She was laughing about the whole thing, she didn't even realize she had been hurt until the taste of blood hit her tongue. Still laughing, she mopped up the blood with her tunic. There was a lot. It was decided among the students that Juliet would sit this one out.  
  
Juliet, unhappy about having to "sit it out," walked up to her quarters to meditate. On the way there, she ran into her friend Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unfortunately, and rather predictably, she also ran into Qui-Gon Jinn.  
  
"What happened?" asked Obi-Wan. Juliet wondered what he meant, then she realized how much blood was on her tunic.  
  
"Oh, I…I got injured playing a game with some friends. It's no big deal," Juliet said, hoping he would take the hint.  
  
"But there's so much blood! And you're still bleeding, by the way."  
  
"Blood is no measure of injury." Juliet answered.  
  
"Yes, it is," said Qui-Gon, speaking for the first time.  
  
"Not on a tunic," Juliet explained, "because instead of soaking up the blood in one spot, I rubbed off the blood in a line across my tunic. It's a simple injury, and not a painful one."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you know the rules about lying?"  
  
"Yes. There's only one, Jedi don't lie."  
  
"Did you lie?"  
  
"No," Juliet was getting tired of this. "May I go?"  
  
"Yes," said Obi-Wan, not having said anything in a while. Juliet left.  
  
"She was injured."  
  
"Yes, but not painfully."  
  
"It doesn't matter, the Council must know."  
  
Obi-Wan said nothing. It wasn't his place. Juliet knew this, and didn't blame him when they banned basketball. It didn't matter; he blamed himself.  
  
The Council was less than happy about Juliet. Far less. Since Juliet had no close friends her own age, the Council spoke to a few random people. Everyone had heard of her. Nobody knew her very well. Finally, Obi-Wan heard that the Council wished to throw her out, send her to the agricorps. Juliet was a Jedi, not a farmer.  
  
"You know that I do not agree with this decision," Qui-Gon told Obi- Wan.  
  
"I know. But this is something I must do."  
  
"If you feel so strongly about this girl, then it is only right that you would speak up when she cannot."  
  
"I thought you opposed my decision, Master," said Obi-Wan, a bit confused.  
  
"This is not something I would do. However, I admire your courage. I know how much you revere the Council. May the Force be with you. You may need it very much."  
  
Obi-Wan was surprised to see that only Yoda and Mace Windu were waiting to speak with him about Juliet. He did his best to persuade them that all she had done was harmless. In some ways, even right. After a time, he sensed it was hopeless.  
  
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," said Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan knew it was over. "It has become clear to us that you feel strongly about this girl. We cannot allow her to remain in the Temple as it is." Obi-Wan tried not to let his head drop. He had failed. "However, if you are willing, there is one other choice."  
  
It was clear that Obi-Wan was willing to do whatever it was. Yoda continued for Mace, "Close to the trials you are, Obi-Wan. An exceptionally student always you have been. Your options now are this: allow the girl to leave the Temple, or take her as your Padawan Learner."  
  
"Should you train the girl, you would still be an apprentice, but in a half-manner. Most of the Council members consider you a Jedi Knight already. You would go on fewer missions with Qui-Gon. You have twenty-four hours in which to make this decision."  
  
  
  
And when the brokenhearted people living in the world agree  
  
There will be an answer  
  
Let it be  
  
"This planet is so…peaceful." Juliet pressed her nose against the starship's window, gazing at the Renaissance-style planet. It didn't have electricity or anything. In fact, it wasn't even part of the Republic.  
  
"Juliet, have you learned anything about flying?" Obi-Wan asked. The mission had been to settle a dispute between two families. Obi-Wan was trying to teach Juliet how to fly a starship, and she had been paying attention up until the planet came into sight.  
  
"Yes," said Juliet.  
  
"Do you know the safety procedures?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Taking off?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Hyperdrive?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"All right," he said, making a mental note to have her pilot on the way back to Coruscant. He landed well enough, and they disembarked. "So, the two families have been feuding for generations. The queen--Escalus--has requested assistance from the Jedi in stopping these fights."  
  
"Tricky," Juliet said, "very tricky. What should we do?"  
  
"What do you think we should do?" Obi-Wan asked. Over the past three years, ever since he agreed to train Juliet, he had found that she often asked what he would do. She rarely said what she would.  
  
"Well…maybe we should get to know the families. Montague and Capulet, right?"  
  
"Then we shall get to know the Montagues and the Capulets. Then what?"  
  
"Try to find out if any of them knows how this feud started."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"Then we go from there."  
  
Nobody knew why they fought, only that they did. They did, and they forever would. Nothing, it seemed, could change that.  
  
One night about a week after they had arrived, and not much had happened, Juliet sat in the library researching. Gregory, a Capulet boy Juliet's age, came in to see her. "Hey, Juliet."  
  
She looked up from her reading. "Hello, Gregory."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"It's a family history. Your family."  
  
"And you aren't bored to death yet?" Gregory joked.  
  
"Young Gregory," began Juliet, "you have a large family, so how can you understand the emptiness that longs for one?"  
  
"I am sorry," said Gregory, "I meant you no offense. I did not think you would take my comment in such a manner."  
  
"It's all right, I should not have responded like I did." Juliet stood up. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"  
  
"Oh, yes, the party!" exclaimed Gregory, hurrying away. The Capulets were having a huge party. Juliet was glad she did not have to go. It would all be dancing and stupid courting rituals. She was just reflecting on this when Obi-Wan entered the library.  
  
"Juliet? I've bee looking all over for you!"  
  
"Sorry, Master. I was…well, I was here. How did you find me?"  
  
"Gregory. Were you hiding from me?"  
  
"No, of course not," she said, surprised. "Why would I hide from you?"  
  
"Perhaps because you are supposed to be at the party, acting as a civilian?"  
  
"I--oh, no! I forgot all about that."  
  
"Well, you'd better hurry. If you're going to pass as a civilian, you'll need to change into civilian clothes."  
  
Juliet was mortified at the prospect of wearing a dress. "Boy clothes?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Girl clothes," Obi-Wan answered. Juliet jumped up and left, muttering unhappily about girl clothes.  
  
"Stop fidgeting, you're trying to fit in, not stand out," Obi-Wan told a restless Juliet.  
  
"I can't help it. I feel uncomfortable," Juliet said, trying to stand still. If she weren't wearing this stupid dress! "Red's a dumb color, anyway."  
  
"Colors are not dumb, Padawan. Anyway, if you do not embrace other cultures…"  
  
"I know, how will they embrace me? Well, because my chosen profession is keeping them safe. Perhaps, however, I should have been a designer. The keep women out of dresses."  
  
"Is it that bad?"  
  
"Yes. I mean, no. I mean…well, it makes me feel so exposed, yet it is not an entirely foreign sensation and that, if anything, is what's uncomfortable."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"If you don't mind my asking, what planet are you from?"  
  
"Coruscant."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"That's where I grew up, I have always called it my home."  
  
"Well, Master, I am not that way. I long for my home, if only to know where it is. It frightens me that I may be home yet not know it." Juliet shifted. "I must go. If I am to blend in, I can't spend all night talking to you." She left, leaving Obi-Wan with a feeling of discomfort. He worried about her commitment to the Jedi path, if she longed for a home. He spent many minutes dwelling on this thought, but was pulled back to reality as he saw Juliet.  
  
On the dance floor, a boy had found himself head over heels. He knelt in front of Juliet, taking her hand. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand," the boy began, "this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a gentle kiss." He bent in to kiss her hand, and she stopped him with her other hand, leaving the two palm-to-palm.  
  
"Good pilgrim," said Juliet, almost laughing, "you do wrong your hands too much. For saints have hands that pilgrims hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."  
  
The boy stuttered for a few seconds, then responded, "But have not saints lips, and holy palmers, too?"  
  
Juliet smiled again. "Aye pilgrim, lips they must use in prayer."  
  
Another young man approached, took the boy by the shoulders, and said, "Come, Romeo let's away."  
  
"Romeo, is that your name?" asked Juliet.  
  
"Yes, and may I know ours, saint?"  
  
"Romeo!" said the second boy sharply, and Romeo shook his head. The older boy pulled him away. Obi-Wan found the boy, minutes later.  
  
"She is called Juliet," he said.  
  
"A name fitting for a saint," said the boy, his eyes locked on the dancing figure.  
  
"Don't get to carried away, my friend, she cannot love you," warned Obi-Wan.  
  
"Is she a Capulet? If she is, my grave is like to be my wedding bed." And there, seeing the forlorn look on the poor boy's face, Obi-Wan could not find it in him to answer that she was a Jedi. He did not want the boy to think he had only a few weeks to glimpse the girl.  
  
"Yes, she is a Capulet. Think not of her."  
  
"Romeo, Romeo, come let's away," said the boy from before. Romeo followed compliantly. Obi-Wan reached out to the Force, and sent a mental note to Juliet to come find him.  
  
"Yes, Master?" asked the girl, red-faced and now smiling.  
  
"Where did you learn the poetry you spoke to that boy?"  
  
"I…" she cocked her head in thought.  
  
"Do not lie to me," he warned.  
  
"I wouldn't. I was trying to remember where I had heard the words."  
  
"And?"  
  
"I read them in a book once. Brilliant story, remind me to tell you about it some time." Juliet explained.  
  
"I will not forget. Let's go."  
  
"Where, Master?"  
  
Now it was Obi-Wan who was prepared to laugh. "To bed, perhaps?"  
  
"Oh." Juliet looked down, embarrassed, or so Obi-Wan thought. In truth, she did not want him to know how hard she was trying not to laugh at herself. She failed.  
  
"You're laughing!" he observed. She nodded and laughed out loud.  
  
"Juliet! Juliet!" Romeo whispered, throwing small stones at the window he knew to be hers. The girl was at first curious as to what the sound was, then she rose from her insomnic meditative rest.  
  
"Romeo?" She called. "Is that you? What're you doing here?"  
  
"I needed to see you. I know you are a Capulet, but—but I love you."  
  
"Oh, Romeo," she said, "please. The Capulets and the Montagues will always feud, it makes no difference who loves whom."  
  
"Do you mean you have love me, too?"  
  
"It is forbidden! We shall see each other, I suppose, on random days, but we cannot love! Our families, Romeo, they could not accept it!"  
  
"All right. I'll be going then."  
  
"Don't!" She hadn't expected to say it out loud. "Wait for a moment. But seek cover until I return, lest my kinsmen find you here. Anon!" Juliet ran inside, and pulled from her bag something she had kept hidden for a very long time. If the Masters found it, she would be in deep trouble.  
  
"Romeo!" Juliet called. He came out of the bushes. "Catch!" She tossed half of a locket down to Romeo. "Now you can wear the part with my picture, and I can wear yours." He was satisfied, though he wished he could be with her. Juliet heard her name called from inside. "You must go! Now!"  
  
"Juliet, what're you doing?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Master. I couldn't sleep and I heard a tapping sound at the window and…it was Romeo. He's in love," Juliet said wistfully.  
  
"Juliet," said Obi-Wan, hearing her tone all to well. "I know sometimes a Jedi may want to feel some of the things that they aren't allowed to feel, and—"  
  
"I'm not in love. He's nice. I'm not in love with him though. After all, the Jedi path is one of commitment, which, to me, has always been a strong bond. I would not break that bond, not even for love."  
  
"Love does funny things to us. You couldn't understand, you're too young, but…I have seen what it can do." For a moment they sat in silence.  
  
Juliet eventually asked in a soft tone, "What was she like?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Tahl. They say—they say she was beautiful and brilliant, and funny and kind."  
  
"She was all that and more. She was almost magical. When she died he—he was heartbroken. It was so awful," suddenly Obi-Wan was pulled back to the present, and he stopped.  
  
"Does it hurt that much?"  
  
"No. I did not love her, and I was very devoted to the Jedi path."  
  
"Will you tell me more about her?"  
  
Obi-Wan paused for a long time before responding, "When you're older."  
  
"What happens if we run into the Montagues? Your family is always fighting them for no reason whatsoever." Juliet asked Gregory. The two were certainly friends. Gregory was taking a walk with Juliet, and though Juliet was in civilian clothes, she was happily content.  
  
"I am sure we won't. Anyway, my cousins will occupy them if we do. They are cowards, always backing down," Gregory replied.  
  
"Gregory, may I ask you a question about your family?" Juliet inquired.  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"I was looking at your history and I couldn't help but notice that you had a sister, about our age, who is not here. Where is she?"  
  
"I—I know not of whom you speak. Ask my father, he can help you, I am sure."  
  
"All right. Thank you—oh, no." Gregory's cousins had seen them too—Montagues. There would certainly be a fight.  
  
Romeo's friend from before, Mercutio, advanced. "Draw, if you be men!" he called. The men drew their swords. Tybalt, a Capulet, rushed forward to meet this challenge. The two prepared to fight. Juliet had a bad feeling about this.  
  
"Don't," she said, rushing forward. "It is not necessary. Can you not come to peace? Is there any conflict so great, you cannot see naught but death can come of it?"  
  
"Stupid girl, stand aside! You don't understand," said Mercutio, pushing her away.  
  
"Mercutio, please, man, come to your senses. Nobody needs to be hurt here. But if you two families," she said, raising her voice, "do not desist, I will have to unarm you, and I can give you no assurance that none will be hurt. But I will take no lives."  
  
"Oh, right, you'll slap me into submission?" teased Mercutio. "Stupid Capulet."  
  
"Last warning, friend."  
  
"Shove off!" cried Mercutio, shoving her down and holding her at sword-point. As he did this, the two families began to fight. As Juliet tried to rise without the Force, she felt a sharp pang. Tybalt was dying.  
  
"I warned you," said Juliet, then she used the Force against Mercutio, and he went flying into a tree. The fighting stopped. Juliet brushed herself off. "Come, let's away. There is no need to stand gawking." Nobody dared disobey.  
  
"You there, girl," said a voice from near-by. All of the boys dropped to one knee. Juliet followed their lead.  
  
"Have I angered Lady Montague?" asked Juliet to Gregory.  
  
"Worse," he replied, "Queen Escalus."  
  
"Oh, stop with all this stupid one-knee—get up! Go off to your homes, squabbling families!" Cried the queen, and Juliet, used to taking orders, followed the Capulets. "No, you stay here girl, I'd like a word with you." Juliet stopped. "Well then, who is this Capulet who does not fight?"  
  
"Not a Capulet, Your Honor," replied Juliet, bowing her head. "I am a Jedi."  
  
"You? I requested Jedi assistance, I had no idea I'd get a thirteen- year-old girl."  
  
"Well, maybe I'm not a Jedi yet. But I am an apprentice, and I am considered part of the Order." Juliet stopped herself at that. "W-why do they fight?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The Capulets and Montagues."  
  
"They fight because they did, fifteen years ago, and then two children died and they stopped. When one of they baby girl Capulets left the planet, the Montagues were blamed of kidnapping. So they fight."  
  
"Why did she leave?"  
  
"She left on a path not often taken by those on our planet. That of the Jedi. She'd be your age now."  
  
"A-and what was her name?"  
  
Juliet still walked around the city with Gregory. She liked him, and knew she would miss him when she was gone. After a few days, she worked up the courage to seek out news of Tybalt. He, in fact, had not died. He was fine. A page had been killed.  
  
As Juliet and Gregory walked after the Capulets, up came the Montagues.  
  
"What do you want?" asked Juliet, rushing to meet them. "We mean you no offense." She reached out to the Force to try to calm the young men around her. It was little good. She could have told them then, that she was a Capulet, but she was afraid to tell anybody, even Obi-Wan.  
  
"Mercutio!" cried Tybalt. "You killed a page of the house of Montague. I want my vengeance."  
  
"Oh, I'm yours, Tybalt," said Tybalt, advancing and drawing his sword. The two sparred. The other fought with fists. Juliet, knowing not what to do, ran to get Benvolio. He was a Montague a few years older than her, who often broke up civil brawls.  
  
As she approached the Montague house, a guard stopped her. She found herself held by the back of her dress. A dress is a horrible garment to fight in, as Juliet learned. She couldn't get free without using her lightsaber, and she knew better.  
  
"What's a Capulet doing here?" demanded the guard.  
  
"Let me go, I must find Benvolio! Let me go!" she replied.  
  
"What do you want with him?"  
  
"I need his help."  
  
"Well, with what?"  
  
Juliet did not have time for this. "Let me go!" Her feeble mind- powers were useless. Finally she saw she had only one choice. Using one hand to hike up her skirt, she kicked the guard hard in the groin. He doubled over, and Juliet broke free. In an instant she was dashing through the house, not looking at anything, letting the Force guide her. She found Benvolio in his quarters.  
  
"Benvolio!" she called.  
  
"Who're you?" he asked.  
  
"Juliet, of the house of Capulet."  
  
"What're you doing here?"  
  
"I've come to get you. There's a fight. Someone will get hurt. Hurry! You can stop this!" Benvolio didn't move. Did he trust her? "Your cousin Romeo is there."  
  
"Romeo? He's only thirteen! What's he doing in a street fight?" Benvolio finally got up. "Take me to the fight, I'll do what I can."  
  
"Thank you," Juliet said, running ahead of him.  
  
Tybalt parried and Mercutio blocked it. The two became locked in combat. Romeo finally could not take it. As Juliet and Benvolio ran up, Romeo Pulled Mercutio back. Tybalt, seeing an opening, stabbed Mercutio. The fighting stopped. Two Montagues, Abraham and Balthasar, led Mercutio away.  
  
Benvolio approached Romeo. The two had always been very close, and Benvolio worried that his cousin might do something rash. "Romeo, are you hurt?"  
  
"No, no, I'm fine. Mercutio! If he hurt Mercutio I'll—"  
  
"No, Romeo, don't. You know it's not worth it, and what will come of it."  
  
"You don't understand! Mercutio is my best friend. I couldn't stand it if—"  
  
"Romeo!" cried Abraham, returning, "good Mercutio is dead!"  
  
"No!" cried Romeo, picking up Mercutio's fallen sword. Juliet saw what he was about to do and hurried to stop him. But too late, his blade struck home.  
  
"Romeo, stand not amazed!" Said Benvolio. "You must go! Every moment here is another step towards your death. You must go, Romeo! Now!"  
  
For the first time Romeo noticed Juliet. He stepped over, hugged her, then cried, "Oh, I am fortune's fool!" And ran for his life.  
  
As Romeo disappeared into the dust, a voice cut through the silence. "What's going on here? You Capulets and Montagues." The voice was that of a boy not older than Juliet. Following suit, she dropped to one knee. A boy walked forth, with curly red hair and an expression of being extremely pissed off. This would have been Prince Paris. Upon seeing Tybalt, he asked, "Who killed this man?"  
  
"It was Romeo!" called Abraham.  
  
"Romeo! Then he must be killed." Decreed the prince.  
  
"No!" Juliet cried, jumping to her feet. Uh-oh, she hadn't planned this.  
  
"What? Who is this that opposes my decision?"  
  
"Juliet. A Capulet once lost. Do nothing to Romeo, for he has done nothing! Tybalt slew Mercutio, Romeo's friend. Would you not have killed Tybalt?"  
  
"A criminal must be punished. Murder—" began the prince.  
  
"Do you have your executioners killed, or soldiers during war? I think not."  
  
"Very well," said Paris, "then let Romeo be exiled. If he be seen in this country again, then he shall be killed. Go home, Capulets, Montagues. Grieve if you will." He turned haughtily and strolled off. Juliet watched the Capulets surround Tybalt. She stood frozen as the Montagues left. She hardly noticed Benvolio as he put his hand on her shoulder, and could think of nothing to say. She hardly moved until a familiar voice spoke from behind her, and broke her trance.  
  
"They said I might find you here," Obi-Wan said. Juliet, not ready to face him yet, gasped and ran away. She ran as hard as she could to the Capulets' monument, where she collapsed, and finally, all her energy gone from her benumbed body, she cried.  
  
"Balthasar! Good Balthasar, news from Verona? What of my Juliet? If she be well nothing can be ill," said Romeo, running to meet Balthasar. Balthasar sighed inwardly.  
  
"Then she is well, and nothing can be ill," Balthasar began. "Her body rests in the Capulets' Monument." Only the dead went to the monument. The implications were clear. Romeo went to see an apothecary.  
  
Juliet stirred and sat up. Where was she? Who was talking to her? Oh, Romeo was there. He wasn't looking at her. He was raising a vial to his lips. "Romeo, no!" He dropped the vial.  
  
"Juliet? They said you were dead."  
  
"Did they? Am I?" She laughed. "Romeo, it is not for my heritage that I cannot love you, it is for my profession."  
  
"Profession?"  
  
"Yes. Romeo, I leave this planet soon. I am a Jedi. I cannot love you for that."  
  
"They will not stop." He said. "Ever."  
  
"I know," she said, "I know." The Capulets and the Montagues poured into the tomb.  
  
"Romeo!" Benvolio called, running towards his cousin, "What're you doing here?"  
  
"I…I came to be with Juliet. I heard she was dead." Romeo answered. Benvolio hugged him and the two talked for a rather long time. Juliet made her way over to Obi-Wan.  
  
"I'm sorry for everything."  
  
"I would be lying to say you were not forgiven."  
  
Across the room, the Capulets and Montagues were shaking hands. At the thought of their children's death, they realized the value of life. And they would never fight again.  
  
Juliet tried to steady her hands. Every time they jerked, so did the ship. "Okay, you need to calm down a little," Obi-Wan said with a touch of sarcasm. Juliet gripped the controls tighter, jolting the ship. She steadied herself, then initiated hyperspace. For a while neither of them spoke.  
  
"In a way," said Juliet, "I'm glad to be leaving. It made me sad, the way Tybalt and Mercutio died just because of…" she trailed off.  
  
"Because of what?" Obi-Wan asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Because of…" she looked down at the ship's controls again, and whispered, "me."  
  
"None of that was your fault," he assured her.  
  
She kept her head bowed. "All right."  
  
"Listen to me," he said, "that was not your fault."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Juliet, look at me." She, of course, would rather not, but that was technically an order. Juliet turned and met his eyes. "This was not your fault. I know that as well as I ever may, and there is no way I can force you to change your mind. But I trust that you will do so on your own." She looked away. After a long time, he said, "When she died, he couldn't stand it. He may have gone crazy for a while, I'll never know. But he sought vengeance. You may think what you like about those families, that they were beasts or monsters, but all they are is real. The Capulets lost a child. Think about that."  
  
And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me  
  
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be  
  
Juliet had gone on her first mission when she was eleven. She was still a child, in more than one way, but would never admit that. It had been after much discussion that the Council had allowed Juliet (Juliet, the renegade) out on a mission. Juliet wasn't eager for the mission, as she could have been, and as many others would have been. Instead, she felt…well, young.  
  
The mission got off to a bad start. Juliet had uploaded some archaic files onto her datapad, and found many stories among them. One of them had been giving her a bit of trouble, but she was determined to read it. It was called 'Romeo and Juliet'. As Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan played some strange game of skill in which monsters kill each other, Juliet huddled in the corner of the room with her datapad.  
  
The story's end was not at all what Juliet had thought it would be. She had wanted the lovers to live happily ever after. Their deaths, no matter what strife was buried with it. She tried her hardest not to cry, and opened another document, about a woman from a place called England and her obscure life and two boyfriends. No matter how funny it was, she found herself still crying. Finally, out of sheer exhaustion from trying not to cry, Juliet had no energy left, and so she wept.  
  
"Juliet? What is it?"  
  
"Nothing," Juliet said. "Don't worry, I didn't sense a disturbance in the Force or anything. It's nothing. Really!"  
  
"If it's nothing," Obi-Wan began, "why are you crying?"  
  
"I am crying for a private reason which is my own," she stated.  
  
"If it's that serious—"  
  
"It isn't. In fact, it's so un-serious I think I should laugh. But I can't."  
  
"Oh really? Why?"  
  
Juliet searched her mind, then answered, "For never was there a tale of more woe." She was ready to defend her rights to this secret, when Qui- Gon interrupted them.  
  
"We're breaching the atmosphere. We'll be on the planet soon, and then this mission officially begins." Looking at the two, he added, "I hope you're both ready."  
  
Two voices chorused, "Yes, Master."  
  
"It actually is a bit routine. Strange, yes, but routine," Juliet observed. She sat in her quarters after the third day of questioning citizens.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Obi-Wan asked, appalled. "We're dealing with a case of disappearances. They happen—we think—in the middle of the night. There is no note, or sign of struggle. All children taken are within one year of the same age. Nobody ever sees them happen. All the missing persons are no more than one year apart. They go missing in some obscure pattern none can decipher. How can you call this routine?"  
  
"Eliminate detail. It's shrouded in mystery. Seemingly random offenses. So what do we know, Master? Think about. I don't mean what they tell us. Be logical about it." Juliet looked at him piercingly. He couldn't think when she did that.  
  
Finally, he responded, "You are not supposed to be keeping information from me, Padawan."  
  
Juliet smiled that terrible smile, her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well, I think it's quite clear that these events are not random, but the results of careful planning. Nobody sees, right? So our culprit knows their routines."  
  
"How do you…?" he stared at her, open-mouthed.  
  
"It's just the way I work," she said, her smile fading from her lips, turning away.  
  
"Juliet, what—"  
  
"It's nothing," she said quickly. "So, how would we go about finding this culprit?"  
  
"First we stop lying to each other."  
  
A guilty look passed over her face, her face so innocent the look was exaggerated a hundred-fold. In a strangled whisper, refusing to look at him, she asked, "When did you lie to me?" No answer came.  
  
Lying on his back, staring into the dark, Obi-Wan worried. Juliet had long since fallen asleep. Obi-Wan stayed awake, worrying about the rift between them. She lied to him. Withholding information, well, it was wrong, but she meant it as a joke. But something was eating her, and she wasn't about to tell him. All he could hope for was that she didn't—  
  
"I never would." The voice made him jump. Or more, the voice made him sit bolt upright. "Never! I'm devoted to the order—and I kind of owe you."  
  
"Y-you're awake! What do you mean, you owe me?"  
  
"You wouldn't let them send me to agricorps. So I owe you. Loyalty. So I wouldn't go over to the dark side—really, I wouldn't do something that would insult you."  
  
"And you're reading my thoughts."  
  
"No, I wasn't. Weren't you trying to?"  
  
"To what?"  
  
"Project your thoughts. You were doing very well. Not that it's my place to comment," she added quickly.  
  
"No, it isn't. At least you know that," he said, disturbed. She could hear his thoughts so clearly she thought them projected? Wow, he'd better reserve criticism from then on. "Do you think Qui-Gon could hear my thoughts, too?"  
  
"Possibly subconsciously. I doubt it. But perhaps—no, no, never mind."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, I—and you'll have to pardon me for saying this, Master—but I think it may be a possibility that he was actually drawing the thoughts from your head," Juliet rushed. For a long time, Obi-Wan thought about this possibility. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that it was highly unlikely, but not impossible. "Juliet," he whispered into the darkness, "I'm going to follow through on your suspicion." There was no answer.  
  
She was already gone.  
  
Juliet tried to lift her hand. It went up, but was heavy as a stone, and fell like one. Using the Force, she tried to gather her strength. Even so, lifting her head felt like a huge challenge. Her eyelids were too heavy. Finally, she consented to wait.  
  
The first thing Juliet noticed was the voices. At first they were just whispers, humming sensations bombarding her ears. Then they came clearer. "Is she awake?" "Is she even alive?" "When did she get here?" "Who is she?" Nobody answered these questions. Nobody seemed to know the answers.  
  
Juliet forced her eyelids open next. The voices, she saw, came from a group of children, all of whom were about her age. They were huddled around her, all staring. For a moment, Juliet wondered who they were, but Juliet was a Jedi. Within seconds she realized, "You're the children we've been looking for!"  
  
"We? What are you talking about?" Asked a boy with curly reddish hair and blue eyes.  
  
"Well, aren't you the children who disappeared from the city?" Juliet inquired.  
  
"Yes," answered the reddish-haired boy, "and what do you mean, we're the children you're looking for?"  
  
Juliet tried to explain, "We were looking for the children who disappeared from the city."  
  
"Then you aren't from the city?"  
  
"No, I'm not. I'm from Coruscant. I'm a Jedi."  
  
The boy scoffed. "You? A girl hardly our age?"  
  
"I am of the order," Juliet said. "I can prove it, too."  
  
"Then do it. Prove you're a Jedi," the boy challenged. Juliet reached down to her waist, where her lightsaber was clipped onto her utility belt. With a feeling of dread, she realized she had left it off to sleep. Her weapon was gone. Her comlink was gone. All she had was the Force.  
  
"Calm down, Obi-Wan, we don't know anything for sure," Qui-Gon said. Personally, he thought the boy had just had either too much sugar or too much caffeine.  
  
"Yes we do. Where else could she be?"  
  
"Out conducting an experiment of her own, most likely."  
  
Obi-Wan struggled to stay calm. Qui-Gon, of course, saw this. "Remember Keegan?"  
  
"That was different. And I was thirteen," he said, trying not to think about Keegan.  
  
"It was the same thing, and you know it. What about the girl on Keegan?"  
  
"Siri. She was eleven, but still—we were together," Obi-Wan's feeble arguments didn't even convince himself. It didn't matter; he was worried about Juliet.  
  
"Her datapad's here. Why not go look at it?" Qui-Gon suggested.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You haven't noticed? She's always looking at that thing—and only speaks about it in riddles. Perhaps you should see for yourself what it is she's so interested in?"  
  
Obi-Wan was appalled, for the second time in two days. "Do you really think I would do such a horrible thing?"  
  
"Why not?" Qui-Gon asked lightly, ignoring Obi-Wan's state of shock.  
  
"I want her to tell me—to trust me. And I have worked hard for what little trust she and I share. I'm not going to throw away all that work just because you—just because I want to know about some stupid datapad!" Obi-Wan took a few seconds to calm down, then he just sat down. After a moment of sitting, he realized he was mimicking what Juliet did when she was looking at her datapad—and he jumped up. Qui-Gon smiled. The boy was losing it. And, of course, he wasn't going to do anything—but he was wrong about the boy.  
  
"Okay. So a bunch of kids Juliet's age have disappeared, she disappears. This means either she disappeared by the same means or, even after the conversation we had last night, she's gone off on her own without even telling me."  
  
"Conversation?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan cursed.  
  
"Private conversation." For a few moments neither of them spoke. Obi-Wan felt a stir around him—something weak, weaker than wind. He tuned in to the Force. The signal strengthened. There was a note, something about others, an apology…then it died out.  
  
"What?" Qui-Gon asked. "That wasn't—"  
  
"That was her. She's in trouble. She's with the others." After a momentary pause, he added, "she's sorry."  
  
"We don't know anything," Qui-Gon said.  
  
"No, you don't know anything because you refuse to listen! To anything! Not to the council, not to me, not even to her! You don't even know who she is! But it doesn't matter anymore. I'm going to go find her." Obi-Wan surprised himself, but couldn't take it back—didn't want to take it back. He said he was going to go find her—and so he walked out the door. Qui-Gon didn't move for a moment. He was shocked—and impressed. Obi-Wan had always been so serious, so unattached to anyone or anything. Ever since Melida/Daan, he had hardly breathed without the approval of the council.  
  
Smiling, Qui-Gon hurried outside to rebuke the headstrong boy who he had missed for so long.  
  
Juliet wished again that she had her lightsaber, or her comlink. This place was whack. Any information the children needed was sent out through some strange type of P.A. system, which simply gave knowledge but had no voice. They spent their days in one very large room, where they could do what ever they chose—some played instruments, some read fictional stories off datapads—none that Juliet had downloaded onto her datapad, of course—and various other things. At certain times of day they ate, and Juliet had to admit that the food was actually pretty good. In fact, most of the children were forgetting their lives before this one.  
  
What Juliet noticed were the disappearances. There were sixteen children, other than herself. Often, she would ask them about their lives before the strange place, and record what they said. One boy didn't remember anything at all about his life. Juliet nearly wept when he told her so. After the midday meal, on Juliet's first day, that boy was gone. No trace of him could be found—his belongings were gone, and a new child took his bed. Juliet felt a surge in the Force, and thirty minutes later a great absence. The child who had been taken was dead. And Juliet would not let that happen again.  
  
Juliet tried hard to make the kids remember things. Every day she asked them who they were, where they were from, and things like that. Every day people answered with less and less information. After three days, five of the children had forgotten themselves. Five of the children had died. Juliet's attempts were futile. She was, to say the least, frustrated. After four days, at midnight, she gathered the Force around her, and sent out the strongest signal she could. She spent herself on those three minutes, having no idea weather anyone would get the signal. When she woke again, she didn't know where she was or when she was. All she remembered was her brain exploding in her head and the world going black.  
  
"Wh-where am I?" She asked, sitting up. Her head swam, and shapes danced in front of her eyes. Her condition appeared to be…not good. Looking around, she saw a sterile white room. A-a hospital? Had she pushed herself that hard? No way. But where was everybody? Who had brought her here? There were too many unanswered questions. Nobody friendly would do that, leave her hanging. She was on enemy grounds.  
  
Clearing her head, Juliet remembered her first priority. Recon. She could learn a lot there, and if she could, she would. However, what she really needed to do anything at all was to get out—unseen. Think, think, think! She thought. First of all, be unseen. Okay, no cameras—a camera would have a blinking red light. No noise, she had no way of checking for that. There were very few exits—a drain, a door, a vent, and the ceiling. The pipe wouldn't fit her, and the vent was terribly small. That left the door and the ceiling. The door was the obvious one, thus the biggest risk. One exit was left.  
  
Juliet stood up on the table. She was tall enough to reach the ceiling. Juliet put her palms flat and pushed. The tile gave way, revealing a two- foot crawl space. She hooked her hands firmly, and pulled herself up. She replaced the tile, and had plenty of space to maneuver. She spent twenty minutes roaming around, eventually finding a grate over what looked like an office. Some people in it were speaking.  
  
"Gone," the first voice said. "Just gone."  
  
"How?" asked a commanding voice.  
  
"Unknown, sir," came the response. "Skinny kid—vent, most likely. Door was checked. No sounds were recorded—this one's smart."  
  
"Of course it is! It's a Jedi! Jedi are smart!" A third person rushed in.  
  
"Vent's empty. Halls and rooms check. Evidence says she did not leave that room." Juliet smiled.  
  
"Do not let that child get out. If she gets out, we will have to deal with Obi-Wan Kenobi. We've nearly finished with our plans. He does not know that we're abducting these children to study the Force. And he should be dead within the week." Juliet gasped, then shut her mouth. It was too late. The next thing she noticed was a strong hand clasping down on her ankle.  
  
Blurry images snapped into focus. She was lying down again, staring at the ceiling. Rolling onto her side, she saw a woman behind her, working with medical tools. The woman turned, a huge syringe in one gloved hand. "Welcome back," she said. "Now, if you would roll onto your back…" Juliet did. She didn't have the energy to do anything else. There was a prick in her skin, then a flash of blinding white pain. She couldn't control anything, and felt her muscles spasm. Her body convulsed, and the world slipped away.  
  
Juliet slipped in and out of consciousness. Seconds or hours would pass, she didn't know. She felt the changes in her body. Things were injected, withdrawn. It would have hurt, if she had been conscious for it. Sometimes she wondered how long had passed since the threat. Usually she didn't have the strength to think at all.  
  
Juliet finally woke up, really woke up. She was in a sterile hospital room again. Someone was there with her. She sat up to speak with them.  
  
"Ah, Juliet, I see you're back with us."  
  
"A…yeah, I am," she responded.  
  
"This is how it will work. I ask a question, you answer it. Now, first question. How are the lightsabers made?"  
  
Juliet, trained to reveal nothing, did not respond.  
  
"You have until three. One…Two…" Juliet felt the impact before she saw the fist. "Cooperation, you see, is not an option."  
  
"You go find her, I'll get the others," Qui-Gon said, knowing that Obi-Wan feared the worst for Juliet. Obi-Wan was quick to follow that order. It had taken a week for him and Qui-Gon to find the—hideout, whatever it was. Obi- Wan picked up Juliet's Force-energy. Force energy was strong in a young girl like her with so much sensitivity to the Force. It took Obi-Wan only minutes to find Juliet. Or what was once Juliet.  
  
The girl was curled limply in the corner of a dark room. Her hands covered her head, but it was clear that any child could move those hands. For a few seconds Obi-Wan faltered—then continued. If she was dead he would bring her body back to the Temple. They would burn it. However, upon approach, he noticed a slight rise and fall of her chest. The tell-tale breathing. So she was alive, but her condition was…less than good. After a minute she stirred, but then was still. She did not move except for the rise and fall of her chest.  
  
At one point Juliet opened her eyes. Her voice, strained and barely audible, rasped, "I'm sorry" before she lost consciousness. Obi-Wan was sure, once or twice, that she had died, but she always came back. Knowing he was breaking the rules, he hoped she would not die.  
  
"…the thing is, Juliet, that even if you're okay, there's still a lot wrong. You're now dependent on insulin. You need it to live. It's called diabetes, remember? You told me about it. I'm getting off track though. All the kids from that laboratory, we sent them home. The ones who died…nothing could be done. We returned the bodies." Obi-Wan stopped as Qui-Gon entered.  
  
"Perhaps you should spend less time talking to Juliet," Qui-Gon suggested. "For all we know, she may not live." He paused for a moment, letting Obi- Wan think about it. Then he added, "I know how hard it is."  
  
"No, you're right," he said, a little too forcefully. Qui-Gon tried to say something, but Obi-Wan cut him off. "I shouldn't talk to her so much. She's probably already dead."  
  
Obi-Wan stood at the window, watching the planet grow smaller. The antagonists were dead. The victims had been buried or returned to their homes. Yet all was not well. Juliet was not all right.  
  
As he worried about his young apprentice, Obi-Wan felt someone's hand slide into his own. Then he didn't think, he just knew, and let himself feel the relief that that hand brought. Because only one person he knew had hands that were like that, so childish. But she wasn't a child anymore. Without looking at her, he said, "I was so scared you wouldn't come back."  
  
Without looking at him, she responded, "I know."  
  
The planet grew smaller, and soon could not be seen. But this mission would be embedded in every line of her face for a lifetime.  
  
  
  
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be,  
  
Shine until tomorrow, let it be  
  
"It may seem like an easy mission, but it will be more difficult than you expect," Obi-Wan warned. Now Juliet was twelve. It had taken six months for her to return to the functioning levels of a normal Jedi.  
  
"I know that," Juliet shrugged. "It is a test of the heart."  
  
"That it shall be. Don't forget, no lightsaber or Force on this mission. We're going to observe, not interfere."  
  
"I know these things already, Master. You've told me six times," Juliet reminded him. She was trying to twist her hair into braids, falling down her back. Ever since their last mission, barely a month ago, Juliet had taken advantage of her overgrown mane, as she liked to call it.  
  
"So I have, but that doesn't give you the right to be impudent."  
  
"Not impudent, but surely honest," she said, standing up. Obi-Wan knew she was doing that to bother him, and the truth was that now that his Padawan was less than an inch shorter than him, he was bothered. As she had told him, everyone has to grow up sometime.  
  
"All right already. I need to talk to Qui-Gon before we go, so meet me by the ship in an hour. And be on time for once!" He said, half-joking with the last remark. Juliet agreed and he left. Not half a minute later, Juliet had run off to find the kids who would still play cards with her—most people hated how she won all the time.  
  
Juliet leaned on her knees, trying to catch her breath. After a few minutes, she wheezed, "Sorry, Master. I was distracted and didn't notice the time." Then she collapsed against the ship, red-faced and quite a bit out of it. A book rested against her chest.  
  
"Why do you keep holding books in front of you?" Obi-Wan asked her. She didn't answer, just shook her head.  
  
//I know why// Qui-Gon said to Obi-Wan, in his head instead of out loud.  
  
//Why?// Obi-Wan responded.  
  
//She's changing. It makes her uncomfortable.//  
  
//Changing? How?// Juliet, noticing that they were communicating, looked up just in time to see Qui-Gon motioning to Obi-Wan what it was that had made her so uncomfortable.  
  
"Hey!" Juliet called, tossing her book at him. Qui-Gon caught the offending item and handed it back to Juliet, smiling. She realized why: he was right, and she had proved it. In the strange clothes she had to wear for this mission, her breasts had become rather…obvious.  
  
"Come on, Juliet, we have to go," Obi-Wan said. Juliet pulled herself up and boarded the ship. Obi-Wan followed. This was a strange mission.  
  
Earth was a small, densely populated planet located on the Outer Rim. The Galactic Republic had no presence there. In fact, the planet's population believed they were the only intelligent beings in the galaxy. A highly secretive government sector had discovered the Galactic Republic, and wished to join it. On behalf of the Republic, two Jedi had been dispatched to observe the behavior of the planet's inhabitants, and determine their readiness to join the Republic.  
  
Juliet jumped to her feet for the sixteenth time. Obi-Wan sighed inwardly. He sensed his Padawan's unrest, and her eagerness for this mission. In the past hour, which he had hoped to spend meditating, Juliet had become more and more excited. She was now not even able to sit still long enough to meditate even the slightest bit.  
  
"We will breach the atmosphere soon, Juliet, now please sit still!" Obi-Wan admonished, irritated.  
  
"It isn't that Master, it's just…I felt something. Something new, but nothing welcome," the girl sat down.  
  
"This is new. What was it?"  
  
"All I know is, I have a bad feeling about this. I'm worried for someone."  
  
"Who?" Obi-Wan asked, no longer irritated in the least.  
  
"Someone…someone I haven't met, but I will meet. Someone…" she trailed off into nothingness.  
  
"Do not forget this occurance, but do not dwell on it. When we get down to Earth, remember your story. Why don't you say it back to me, just to be sure?"  
  
"Okay," Juliet responded, "I'm from Australia. I don't like to talk about my home, because it will make me sad. My parents were killed and I'm staying with a foster family."  
  
"Good. How did your parents die?"  
  
"In a car crash, but I'd rather not talk about it," Juliet answered. This continued for some time. After all, any slip-up could cost them the mission. As they got closer to Earth, Juliet's answers started to sound more and more real. Finally, as the team parted, Obi-Wan gave Juliet one last reminder.  
  
"If there is trouble, if you need help, you can always contact me using the Force."  
  
"I won't forget," Juliet assured him, and she went off to meet her new family. There were four children. Benjamin, the oldest, was sixteen. He had sandy-blond hair, as did his other brothers. He looked mature beyond his years, his blue eyes had a very serious, caring look in them. Then next brother, Mark, looked totally out-of-it with his spikey hair and glazed eyes. The youngest brother, Chris, looked frighteningly similar to Chris O'Donnell in Batman and Robin, only Chris was twelve years old. The only girl, Robin, had black hair which she controlled very well, and green eyes. She was also twelve.  
  
"Hi," Juliet said, "I'm Juliet."  
  
"Hi, I'm Robin," said Robin. Each of the boys was introduced in turn. The house where they lived, where Juliet was staying, was big enough that each of the kids had their own room. Juliet shared Robin's room, the attic. Robin and Juliet immediately became good friends. After a week, Juliet was starting school. She, Robin, Chris, and Mark went to the same school, and it was very close to the house. They walked together every morning.  
  
"This is P.E. It basically consists of changing in a crowded room, stretching, and running. Nobody likes it much," Robin whispered as she and Juliet headed into the locker room. Juliet found it barbaric, that they all changed in such close proximity, but she didn't say anything. 


	2. In which Juliet is impudent and disobedi...

Disclaimer: I don't own rights to anything mentioned in here, I'm just writing this for fun, please don't sue me!! Actually, I did create Juliet and Robin's family, so they're mine, and I belong to me (and my friends don't belong to me, either)  
  
"I think lunch is my favorite time of day," Robin said. Finally, a concept Juliet was familiar with! It hadn't taken long for Juliet to used to the food here--it was so good! She heartily agreed with Robin about this "lunch" thing. Surrisingly, Robin kept walking.  
"Where are we going?" Juliet asked.  
"Oh, we're going to eat with my friends, okay? You'll like them." Robin stopped and unceremoniously dropped her stuff on the ground. Then she (unceremoniously) plunked herself down on the ground. Juliet copied her. "Hey, everybody!" Robin yelled. Everyone stopped talking.  
"This is Juliet. Juliet, this is Ariel, Deborah, Emily, Jacob, Jasmine, Sam, other Sam, and Yannick. Oh, and Bernie," Robin explained. Juliet tried hard to memorize their names. She soon forgot them.  
"Do you know Spit?" asked one of Robin's friends, holding up a bunch of small papers.  
"No," Juliet said nervously.  
"Come on, I'll teach you," said Robin's friend enthusiastically. Juliet moved to sit across from her. "Now, you get 26 cards and I get 26 cards. We each set up..." the girl went through a list of rules, with Sam chiming in every-so-often. Surprisingly, Juliet enjoyed the unorganized frenzy. After a while, the friend--who was winning, shouted in triumph, and Sam asked, "Are you channeling Nicole again?" The friend made some sexual comment.  
"Nasty!" said Sam, returning to his lunch. Juliet smiled and let herself go. She felt happy among these people. She could feel the comfort and trust between them. There was no effort behind this friendship. It seemed amazing.  
"Juliet," Emily said, drawing her back. "If you need any help with the violin--I'm in your music class--I could help you."  
"Okay," Juliet said, "I'd like that, actually, considering my violin abilities." These people were so innocent, so amazingly trusting. Juliet almost wished she could be one of them.  
  
"So, exactly what are we doing?" Juliet asked, a little confused.  
"It's just this thing we do, we go down to a comic store every Friday," Sam said. Juliet understood, though she didn't know what a comic was, and she understood that it meant something to them.  
"What's this Village Market thing then?" Juliet asked.  
"Comeda!" shouted Deborah, the girl who had taught her Spit. "Nostotros queiro comeda!"  
"We're getting food," Emily explained. "Deborah likes to speak Spanish."  
"Hey, I hear someone new works there," Sam said.  
"Yeah, the old guy lost service," Ariel said.  
"He was really nasty, so we stopped going," explained Jasmine. "But the new guy is supposedly pretty nice." The group headed into Village Market, all having their own destination in mind. Juliet saw at once who "the new guy" was, and she smiled at him. Obi-Wan returned her smile. Juliet sought out her new friends.  
"Wow, what's all this stuff?" Juliet asked Jacob and Deborah.  
"Comeda," Deborah said, "dolces."  
"Food," Jacob translated, "candy. What kind of candy do you like, massive sugary or minty or chewy? Or chocolate?"  
"I don't know. What's good?" Juliet asked. Deborah and Jacob exchanged a glance, Jacob laughing a little.  
"Candy," began Deborah, "is artificial. It is what bothers our parents. There is no good; there is personal preference. You, I would think, would like these." She grabbed a bag portraying a smooth, white substance covered in a dark substance. "That's mints in chocolate."  
"Okay," Juliet said. "That sounds good." The others waited outside while Juliet paid for her candy, lucky for her.  
"How's it going?' Obi-Wan asked her.  
"Pretty good," Juliet said. "These kids are extraordinary. So you're called Frank?"  
"That I am," he responded, laughing. "You, at least, kept your name."  
"Yeah. It's so fun, being with these people, they--" she stopped as one of the other kids came in.  
"Juliet, are you coming? Most of our parents won't let us stay late," explained Sam.  
"Yeah, I'll be right there," she assured him. She grabbed her candy, said goodbye to "Frank", and headed out.  
"Bye, Frank," Sam said as he headed after her.  
"Bye, Sam," Obi-Wan returned. For a moment, Sam was amazed that Frank remembered his name, but he had to hurry after his friends. All he knew was, there was something between Juliet and Frank.  
  
"Ow!" Sam said, raising his arm in defense. "Evil!" Deborah poked him again, and he lashed out, hoping to smack her, but he missed and his elbow went hard into the wall. He cradled it. Jacob turned around.  
"Shush," he admonished.  
"Oh, Jacob--" Deborah started, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand. She submitted. Juliet smiled at this exchange. It was Saturday. Jacob was having a slumber party--this was a new concept for Juliet. Many children gathered and slept in one room in warm bags on the floor. They also watched some films that greatly disturbed Juliet--Star Wars. In fact, some (Deborah, Jacob, and Emily, though Emily less than the others) of them were obsessed with it, and had books that told of the training of Obi-Wan Kenobi. None of the things in these movies, though, had yet come to pass.  
After the movies, they all got in their insulated bags to talk and then sleep. Deborah started off the discussion right off, with the topic of the Pledge of Allegiance. Juliet had gotten to know this ritual well, along with Deborah's feelings towards it.  
"It's unconstitutional!" the angry girl ranted. "It's not fair! We're raised to say it, beginning in Kindergarten when we're to young to even understand it. By the time we reach middle school, we say it without meaning it. An oath should not be taken so lightly!"  
"That's true, but we know what it means," Jasmine said. "We can choose not to say it."  
"Two points, and not bad," Deborah admitted, "but I must say that in sixth grade, my mom was suspended for not saying the pledge of allegiance, and remember that sub last year who wanted to make Miki say it in front of everyone, simply because he didn't believe in it? Also, while we know what it means, we're IHP. What about regular kids?" Juliet stopped listening, and heard something else. She heard Deborah's heart, her soul. She heard Jasmine's mind. She felt all of them, and sensed an incredible ability with the Force in many of them--she couldn't pick out which, but at least four of them were as strong Obi-Wan was.  
Finally, all of them had fallen asleep--or almost all of them. "Hey Deborah," Sam said quietly, "are you awake?"  
"Yeah, anyone besides us?" she asked.  
"Me," Emily said sleepily.   
"And I," added Robin. Nobody else said anything, save a few snores. Juliet, who was awake, kept her ears alert.  
"There's something going on between Juliet and Frank," Sam said.  
"Frank the Village Market guy?" Deborah asked.  
"Yeah."  
"Like in Pure?"  
"I don't know, what's that?"  
"A book about a 13-year-old and a 27-year-old going out."  
"Then nothing like that! They just...knew each other."  
"Do you think he's her father?" asked Deborah.  
"No, I just think...there's something between them. History."  
"I see. Hey, Robin?"  
"Yeah?" Robin responded.  
"Find out for us, would you? Just be alert."  
"Yeah, okay," Robin said.  
  
"Hey, could I borrow some of those?" Juliet asked Jacob. Jacob nodded, handing her one of the books she'd noticed earlier.  
"Oh, Jacob, she's not going to be here for long, give her the lot," Deborah said. To Juliet, she added, "he's forgetful. You'll only have time to read about three of them. You take all of his, and I'll bring you the later ones on Monday, okay?"  
"Yeah, that'd be great," Juliet answered. These people were so sure they would get their books back, they just trusted her. It awed Juliet, who knew of the corruption in the galaxy.  
"Corruption in politics--" began Deborah, who was answered by many groans.  
"Can't we enjoy ourselves for once?" asked Robin.  
"I was only saying, but never mind it!" said Deborah angrily. Juliet watched in wonder. That was exactly what she had been thinking about.  
  
Obi-Wan wasn't surprised to see Juliet sitting on the low wall outside of Village Market. She had her backpack with her, and was kicking her legs as she read a book. Obi-Wan sat down next her, waiting for her to say something.  
"Is this what you looked like when you were my age?" Juliet asked, showing him the cover of her book. Awed, Obi-Wan could just nod. "Did it really happen, with you and Siri on Keegan being stuck at the indoctrination camp?"  
"They called it a school, but yes, it did happen. What's all this coming from?" Obi-Wan replied.  
"On this planet, there are books. The books tell of your training to become a Jedi. They have movies, too, about our world, and things in it that have not yet come to pass. I think someone already knows about us." Juliet explained.  
"You're right. They discovered us many years ago. They've been sworn to secrecy. We have to keep going with the mission, though. It may be less than a month before we leave." At this revelation, Obi-Wan turned and left. Juliet ran to Robin's home, not sure what to think.  
  
The next Wednesday, something terrible happened. There had, for some time, been a war between the U.S. and another country--Juliet couldn't remember which. It seemed very dumb, as Juliet couldn't help but think after hearing Deborah rant about it. But on this Wednesday, Juliet had forgotten all that. She had gone over to Emily's after school, to practice on her violin (an instrument which gave Juliet a bit of trouble) and just to hang out.  
"What's this?" asked Juliet, seeing the small Union Jack that Emily had in her mailbox.  
"That's the British flag. My mom's English," Emily explained. Juliet understood, sort of. All afternoon, the two practiced on their violins and had a generally good time. In the early evening, Juliet walked back to Robin's home. Halfway there, she felt something, something she had only felt once before. Knowing this feeling, she ran as fast as she could to Robin's. She hadn't expected what she found there.  
Robin was hysterical. Her brothers seemed pretty upset, too, but in different ways. Mark was in his room, shooting up. Benjamin was trying to comfort Robin, who wouldn't listen to him. He seemed to feel that he could get in control of everything else, he could gain control of his emotions. Chris was red-eyed, but no longer crying. He pulled Juliet aside and told her what had happened.  
"They're drafting," Chris explained, "and Ben's too young to go. They just changed the age at which men can be drafted, and they make one person go from every family. Since Ben was too young, they made dad go to war."  
"That's horrible!" exclaimed Juliet, not familiar with this tradition.  
"Yeah, I know. I need you to talk to Robin, though," Chris said. Juliet nodded.  
"Why?"  
"They say at school that you're a Jedi--even though Jedi don't exist. Maybe you could use your Force powers," the desperate boy joked. Juliet dryly nodded again and went up to Robin's room.  
"Robin?" she called softly. There was no response. Juliet pushed open the door. She was swept with a wave of emotion, rage, hatred, and despair. "Robin, it's okay. He'll be okay." Robin, who was huddled on her bed, looked up at Juliet.  
"No it won't! Men go to war to die!" she sobbed. Juliet couldn't stand it. The despair and sadness cut into her heart, the rage overpowered her mind. The Force crackled around her on this planet, the rage said, yet she couldn't use it. Why follow their rules? Why? Juliet shuddered. Would you let your friend suffer like this? Would you have let Romeo suffer like this? Do you like to be helpless?  
Juliet agreed. She reached deep into the Force, drawing energy all around her. With it, she saw that it would be all right. Robin's father would be all right. Robin's heart would not break, her wounds would heal. And, reaching into Robin's life-Force, she told her so.  
  
The last week or so was pretty calm. Nothing much happened. Juliet observed how everyone interacted. Robin was fine. One day, in the middle of doing her homework, Juliet felt something. Something compelled her to leave. She knew who it was, and why she had to go.  
Walking the seven blocks made her sweaty from the burning sun. Finally, reaching the apartment, Juliet knocked. It took only a few moments for Obi-Wan to answer. She entered the apartment and sat down. "We're going to leave, aren't we?"  
"Soon. The Council wishes to hear our reports." Obi-Wan's communicator blinked, and he answered, "Kenobi here."  
"Obi-Wan. We are anxious to hear your report," Mace Windu's voice said, speaking for the entire council. "Please, proceed."  
Obi-Wan seemed very prepared for this. "In my time on this planet, I have observed many people of many ages. These observations have led me to believe that the planet may very well be prepared for entrance to the Galactic Republic, however the planet is not prosperous nor would it's entrance benefit the Republic in any way."  
"Interesting. Your conclusion?" Windu inquired.  
"For this planet to join the Republic would neither hurt nor help," offered Obi-Wan as some sort of answer. Finally remembering Juliet, he added, "Perhaps my Padawan wishes to share her experiences. If she may?"  
"Though ignorant the girl may be, allow her to have her say, we must," Yoda chimed.  
"Thank you, Master Yoda," a wounded Juliet began. "I have seen many things on this planet, many things foreign to me. I saw how some of these people were treated as lessers simply because they were students. I saw fathers taken from their families to go to war, to fight and die. Yet I still think this planet is fit to join the Republic. My Master said it had no exports, nothing to give. Yet it has so much to give, so many ancient texts and all sort of things! It is a young planet, and not at all a pure planet, but it is no worse than Coruscant. To deny this planet entry to the Republic is simply to say it isn't good enough. Well, then we're not good enough either."  
It was a long time before anyone spoke. Obi-Wan was shocked at the way Juliet had addressed the Council. Finally, Yoda asked, "Proud of your Padawan's behavior, are you, hmm?"  
"No, Master," an embarrassed Kenobi responded.  
"Though perhaps make a point, the child does," admitted Yoda. "Through you this world the Council has seen. Come to our own conclusions also, we have. Allow this planet to join the Galactic Republic, we will. Notified, they will be."  
  
Juliet sat in her history class. The bell rang, finally. The teacher got up to address the class. "As you know, in this class we discuss both ancient and current history. Yesterday, history was made for the planet earth. As most of you know, we were admitted into the Galactic Republic. For those of you who have seen Star Wars, you know what the Republic is. It is a group of planets, all functioning under one government with the protection of Jedi Knights."  
A voice called, "I told you it was cooler than Star Trek!" The teacher smiled, and continued.  
"This is a proud day for earth. It is a proud day, also, for this class. You may have heard that a Jedi team was sent to observe our planet. I'm proud to tell you that part of that team is sitting in this classroom right now." Juliet blushed. The teacher continued, "I think it would be appropriate for the class to take this period as a question-and-answer time. Raise your hands, questions will be dealt with in an orderly fashion. Juliet will be answering them." Though she hadn't agreed to that, Juliet did. There were many, many questions.  
  
Good-byes were not easy. Robin hugged Juliet and cried, thanking her for breaking the rules and using the Force to console her. Chris was very composed, but he, too, was privately close to tears. Emily made Juliet promise not to forget how to play the violin. Ariel assured Juliet that Lloyd and Faffoo (Ariel's invisible ducks) would miss her. Sam and Sam seemed to be trying to be mature, like Chris, but they, too would miss her. Jasmine reminded her "Nishk." Jacob requested his books back, but Deborah smacked him. Deborah was strangest of all, when she hugged Juliet she whispered "Thank you for making my dreams come true."  
  
It was with a heavy heart that Juliet boarded the spacecraft headed back to Coruscant. She knew she would miss Juliet and all the kids on earth. She knew she was in trouble with Obi-Wan. Dragging her feet, Juliet boarded the craft that would take her home. She pressed her nose against the window to watch earth disappear. She didn't get to.  
"Padawan," Obi-Wan said. Uh-oh, Juliet thought. He never called her that; she was in trouble now. "I told you not to use the Force on this mission. You disobeyed me. You spoke to the Council in a manner of impudence and arrogance, disrespecting both them and me."  
"Yes, I did." Obi-Wan was annoyed by Juliet. She didn't seem to understand that she was being scolded.  
"Use of the Force could easily have destroyed the fact that you were viewed as a normal person. You could have--"  
"You don't understand!" she said, before she could stop herself.  
"I don't understand? Enlighten me," he challenged, angry.  
"You don't understand how other people are. You don't understand what it feels like to hurt. You don't know her pain! You don't know what it's like to lose someone close to you! You can't understand! She was hurting so bad she would've died." By the end of her rant, Juliet was calm.  
"Then perhaps it was her time to die," Obi-Wan suggested.  
"You #@$%&^*!!" shouted Juliet, before she could stop herself. She regretted what she had done, but could not take it back. In a way that was fair, because Obi-Wan also did something he would always regret. Juliet didn't flinch, nor did she touch the red area on her face. "I deserved that," she said, then she turned and left the room. It was another day before they spoke again.  
"I..." Juliet said. Obi-Wan was surprised to hear her voice. He looked up from his meditation. "I'm sorry for my behavior. I suppose...maybe I was out of line in the way I spoke to the Council." Obi-Wan understood that the events of the previous day were forgotten.  
"This is a welcome change. Our missions usually end with you apologizing to me for no real reason, or me saving your life, or some such thing. Now you're just a moody preteen. A moody preteen who will be spending six hours meditating." He laughed to show he was joking about the preteen thing. Juliet smiled, then something occurred to her.  
Juliet, with an impish grin on her face, began, "So this duck walks into a bar..." 


	3. In which terrible things happen

Thank you to all of my reviewers, Ariel (sorry I forgot to mention your nickname, Beag!), Jacob (I'm glad you liked it, considering your earlier criticism), Jasmine (Juliet didn't manage to get P.E. outlawed, I'm sorry to tell you), Sam (Juliet's biggest fan), and my mom. I love you all!!!!  
  
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see, There will be an answer, let it be  
  
Juliet's steady flight was disrupted by a jolt from some outside force. She steadied herself and held the controls tightly. A second shot rang out, narrowly clipping Juliet's wing. She once again re-aquired control and pulled the ship out of hyperspeed. As soon as she saw her pursuers drop out themselves, she re-entered hyperspace. Once she knew they couldn't see her, she made a quick jerk of ninety degrees to her left. "Good job," Obi-Wan said. Juliet nodded. At fourteen, she had become far more quiet, modest, and deep. Not that she was shallow to begin with, but now she could often be found lost deep in the recesses of her own mind, meditation more a habit than a chore. She was no longer laughing every- other minute, as she used to be. Her corny jokes were now kept to herself, if she remembered them. She lived a bit more conservatively, not taking crazy risks as she once would have. She even got along with Qui-Gon, who in truth missed the old Juliet who used to make him laugh. "What was it?" asked Qui-Gon. "Pirates." "You've lost them now. Get back on the pre-approved route," Qui-Gon commanded. "I can't," Juliet explained, "the ship's been damaged. There is a planet half a parsec away. I'll land there." "Don't," Obi-Wan said. "That's Raynar, it's extremely hostile. They hate Jedi and would most likely kill us if they knew what we were." "Master, I have to," Juliet said. "It's the only planet for another sixty-eight parsecs." "All right," Obi-Wan said, knowing she was correct. It didn't take long for Juliet to put down the ship. Finding a mechanic was simple enough. A skinny female human was willing to ignore who her customers were for enough credits. "It'll take three weeks, though," said the mechanic, who was called Laina. "You've put her through quite something with that landing." "It is not my landing but your inability that will take three weeks," Juliet said, loudly enough to turn some heads. "All right, all right, I can do it in one week!" the girl quickly said. "I can't afford to lose business," she confided. "We understand," Qui-Gon told the girl, who looked as though she might hyperventilate. True to her word, it would only take a week.  
  
"I'm okay," Obi-Wan said, rubbing his head. He had developed a bad headache and a slight fever since they landed, though he denied any illness. "You're not, I can tell," Juliet said, shaking her head. "You're sweating and pale. I've heard of this, it's a sickness native to this planet. There is a cure, but it's very rare. Admit it, you're sick." "All right, I am. I won't die, though. We're leaving soon." That evening, Obi-Wan found that he was too weak to even stand. Qui-Gon had been expecting this. Without the medicine, he would surely die, and they hadn't the credits for the drugs. Each of them knew that well. Only Juliet was not at peace with it. "Where will you find it?" Qui-Gon asked. "I don't know," Juliet said. "Come on, we should have enough bacta to get rid of the pain, and then it will be over. It's not death, it--" "I know the fourth precept well enough!"[1] Juliet whispered snappily. "I'm just not sure it's time for his spirit to leave our world." "If you're worried about becoming a Jedi--" "What the--no! I don't even care about that!" "I know this is difficult for you, Juliet. Really, I do. But you can't do anything--" "I believe that I can," she replied fiercely. Qui-Gon backed down, sure that the girl would learn a lesson from this.  
  
The nightlife on Raynar was certainly not scare. Juliet followed her heart, going where she felt was right. The first place was a café of sorts, that is to say a bar. Juliet slid into a booth next to a person who felt right for what she wanted. "Where would I find Xlyxa?" she asked the tipsy man. Xlyxa was the drug she needed. The man looked at her sidelong. "It would cost you quite a bit," he said, "and I don't carry any, but you can win some in a race." "A race?" she asked. It was all too easy. "Of sorts," he explained. "You've got to be the last man standing. The next one is in three or four weeks." "I haven't the time for that, I need it now," she told him. The man shrugged. Too bad. Juliet left, greatly needing this drug.  
  
No pharmacy had the drug. "You must understand, miss," said the pharmacist, "there's such a demand, we just can't import it fast enough." "I understand," she said, ready to admit defeat. "Wait! Import it from where?"  
  
"Juliet! What's wrong, what's happened?" Qui-Gon asked as the girl returned. It had been hours, and--though he'd never admit it--he had been worried about her. She looked terrible and scarred, as though something had happened to her.something terrible. Juliet ignored him and walked over to Obi-Wan. She didn't think he could hear her. He couldn't. Qui-Gon walked over to her, and explained gently, "He doesn't know what's going on. He's not aware of any of this. He's in no pain. In less than an hour, Obi-Wan Kenobi will no longer be in this world." Juliet didn't move. "If you're worried about your training, there's no need. I will train you, I owe that to Obi-Wan. And to you." "I got the medicine for you, Master," Juliet said quietly. Qui-Gon was surprised by this. How could she have gotten it? He knew the stores were out of it. Juliet drew a small bottle from the folds of her cloak. There was a small amount of the precious substance. Juliet quickly punctured the bottle's cap with a hypodermic needle, filling the needle. Slowly, carefully, she tied a string around Obi-Wan's arm as a heroin addict might. She was frightened, but her hand was steady. In a few seconds, it was over. "I don't know how you did it," Qui-Gon said, "but you've just saved his life." Still, Juliet did not respond to what he said. She walked over to the corner of the room, curled up into a tight ball, and rocked. In a while, she fell asleep.  
  
It was five days later that their ship was fixed. The mechanic, Laina, seemed more than happy to see them off. Juliet did not take the controls, although she was an expert pilot. Something had been wrong with her for the past few days. She had hardly spoken a word to anyone. Even for her, this was strange. "Juliet, I think we should talk," Obi-Wan said. Juliet nodded grimly, confusing Obi-Wan, but he was relentless. Finally, Obi-Wan asked, "What happened the night you went to get the medicine?" Juliet broke into sobs, and told him everything.  
  
"Master Gallia, may I speak to you for a moment?" Obi-Wan asked. He thought it would be much easier to explain to her what had happened. He knew Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and most of the other Council members would not understand, but he remembered Adi Gallia from when he was a child. In his mind, she was far more.well, understanding. "Certainly, Obi-Wan," responded Adi. She remembered him, too, and she could see how much he had changed over the years. He had been so worried since he came back from that last mission, though. "It's about Juliet," he began. "On our last mission, I was sick. Well, I was going to die. She went out and found a rare drug which healed me." "Yes, I heard about that. Perhaps she is troubled by the fourth precept.?" "Oh, no, it isn't anything like that. The thing I wanted to discuss with you was.due to circumstances out of her control, Juliet is.she's going to have a child." Obi-Wan waited for a moment before adding, "It was not her fault, though. She had been instructed not to use the Force or her lightsaber for any reason." "Circumstances outside her control?" "Rape. She was in a bad neighborhood, an area where they imported the medicine from." "Why did you not give this information to the entire Council?" Adi asked. "I thought you would understand, and that maybe.you could keep her from being expelled from the Order." Adi recognized the concern in his voice. "Do not worry," she told him. "I will make sure she is not expelled."  
  
Juliet was sent to an undisclosed location. Eight and a half months later, she gave birth to a girl. She was sent to live with foster parents on the planet of Naboo. Juliet could not think of a more lovely home for her baby. The last thing Juliet got to do was give her child a name. "Esperanza," she said, "for and although she's a born Ophelia." ----------------------- [1] The fourth precept: There is no death, there is the Force 


	4. In which none can find peace

Let it be, Let it be, Let it be, yeah, Let it be Whisper words of wisdom, Let it be  
  
There would be one more mission for Juliet. It was a simple enough. A planet near neither the Core Worlds nor the Outer Rim had contracted a sickness, which was quickly spreading. The germ agent was found to originate in a toxic pond polluted by a nuclear power plant. The pond was a major water source. The plant denied these charges of pollution. The Jedi were to act as mediators in a series of confrences. "They're just giving me an easy mission," Juliet said. "They act like I'm a child!" "And what are you acting like?" Qui-Gon asked. Juliet immediately blushed. Of course, she had been acting like a child. "We're landing," Obi-Wan informed them. The cargo ship that had given them passage would only stay for a few minutes, for fear of the disease. Once off, the Jedi were greeted by the planet's ruler, ChisTya. "I am glad you have come. There is a great threat to our planet," ChisTya said. "We are here only as mediators, not to solve anything," Qui-Gon said. Juliet was careful not to form an opinion. She was hoping to at least find out whether or not it was the plant that had polluted the pond. However, she was fully aware that Qui-Gon's statement was directed mostly at her. Since returning to the Order, she had looked for adventure or anything to take her mind off of her child. "Still, your very presence gives the people hope," ChisTya intoned. "Is there any cure for the disease?" asked Juliet. ChisTya shook her head. "If only we knew what had caused it, perhaps there would be." Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan glanced at each other. They knew Juliet would try to find out what had caused the disease. As ChisTya led them to where they would be staying, Qui-Gon reminded Juliet, "You had best not forget your place, Young One." When she was sure he couldn't hear, Juliet muttered, "And you yours, old man." Obi-Wan overheard this, and grinned before telling her off. Juliet didn't care. She would find out what caused that epidemic, she resolved. She had to.  
  
Not a week after they had arrived, Juliet was caught "investigating" the power plant. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were rather angry about this. "I told you, remember your place," Qui-Gon said. "I didn't forget my place, I just.I stepped out of bounds." "Yeah, you did," Obi-Wan agreed. "And should such a thing happen again, you will be under constant surveillance." "What, by a camera?" Juliet asked. "No, by either Qui-Gon or myself. You won't be allowed to give yourself insulin injections, either." At this news, Juliet groaned. She was torn between her vow to herself and the idea of never being left alone. After many hours, she made a decision.  
  
Juliet tiptoed towards the door. It had been a week since she was last caught going out. Not that she had stopped, she had just gotten careful. Every time she went out, she made sure Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were both asleep. Reaching the door, Juliet smiled and relaxed. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her wrist and spin her around. "Where did you go?" Qui-Gon asked. "I just needed to use the bathroom," Juliet lied quickly. "For an hour?" Qui-Gon asked. "Okay.I just needed to puke. I wasn't feeling so good," Juliet lied again. "Juliet, I know that isn't true." "All right, I'll tell you, but don't tell Obi-Wan, please!" "Why?" Qui-Gon was a bit surprised by this request. "I don't want to hurt him. I don't want him to be sad." "Juliet, where did you go?" "I met a pathologist. She's not that far--on a good day, I could get to our meeting place in about ten minutes.but I haven't been having good days. I met with her, she took some of my blood--we've been doing this for a few days. When I went snooping around in the power plant, I got sick. That's why you can't tell Obi-Wan!" "What are you talking about? I'm sure if you took enough bacta--" "Qui-Gon, I'm dying. Bacta cannot help me. This is why Obi-Wan cannot know. Please don't tell him, please!" Juliet begged. "All right. I won't tell him. But Juliet--you know you'll have to go AWOL, don't you?" Juliet swallowed and nodded gravely. "I know. I just don't want him to think that I'm de--that I'm one with the Force." "There's only one problem. No matter what you do, he will feel you die." Juliet had not realized this, but it was true--even if he was angry at her, if he thought she'd left the order, he would feel her leaving the Living Force. "Juliet, I promised not to tell him, and I will keep my promise, but he must know."  
  
"Master, what is the Living Force?" Juliet asked. She had asked him this, once, years ago, and not been satisfied with his answer, so she had spent hours mulling over what it was. Finally, she had realized that the Force is something different to everyone. "It is the fabric of life which connects us all," Obi-Wan answered immediately. "I mean, what is the Living Force to you?" Juliet asked again. Obi- Wan paused. "I don't know." "What do you think happens to us when we di--become one with the Force? What happens to our conscious mind?" Juliet asked. "I don't know," Obi-Wan said. "Well, what do you think it feels like to become one with the Force?" "I don't know," he said again. "If someone suicides--" "Stop!" Obi-Wan said. "What's going on, Juliet?" "I'm curious," Juliet answered. Obi-Wan took a long time deciding what to say next. Finally, he asked, "Isn't it about time for your injection?" "Oh, right," Juliet said, "I'll go do that." She slipped away from the room, and then ran. "Qui-Gon, I know you know what's going on." Obi-Wan said. "This is between you and your Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "Has she spoken to you?" Obi-Wan asked. "Has she told you what's going on?" "Yes," Qui-Gon said. "Yes, she has." "What is it?" "She will tell you." "Oh, you've just got some new-found faith in her?" "One might say so." "Why won't you tell me what's going on?" "I swore I wouldn't." "Why won't she tell me?" "She will. She's scared." "Of what? Has she been breaking rules again?" "No, she hasn't." "Then why is she scared? What is she afraid of?" "Hurting you. And I will say no more!"  
  
"Padawan." Juliet stiffened at the word. Obi-Wan sat down next to her and put his arm across her shoulders. "You can tell me." "You don't understand," she said, and he realized she had been crying. "It's okay, really, I understand." He assured her, hoping that he did understand. He knew, at least, that he understood her fear. "Just tell me, because I already know," he lied, hoping this would make her tell him. "Really?" she asked weakly. "How?" "Qui-Gon told me," Obi-Wan lied. "But if you tell me, it will help you accept it." "He broke his promise?" Juliet asked meekly. Obi-Wan heard the pain in her voice. "No. I lied. You don't have to tell me, whatever it is."  
  
"Qui-Gon, do you know where Juliet is?" Obi-Wan asked. "She's gone to talk to ChisTya," Qui-Gon replied. "I told her she could." "Okay," Obi-Wan said. Knowing she was out, he opened the door to her quarters. Carefully, he searched through her things, until he came across what he was looking for.sort of. A cardboard box was hidden under her bed. Inside Obi-Wan found a lot of small, paper cranes and a book. "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes? What is this?" Obi-Wan took the book and sat down on the bed. It didn't take him long to complete it. Of course, he figured out immediately what was going on. "Thousand paper cranes.she must have at least that here!" He counted, and found nine-hundred sixty-four. Following the directions in the back of the book, he began to fold. Soon, he had made enough that Juliet had 1000. "I have to make them," a voice said from the doorway. Obi-Wan looked over and saw Juliet, watching him. "It's only thirty five more." "Why didn't you tell me?" Obi-Wan asked. "I was scared. I didn't want to hurt you. I thought that.the cranes would make me better." Juliet walked slowly forward and picked up one of Obi-Wan's cranes. "This is a mountain fold, not inside-reverse. Look," she inside-reverse folded the crane's head. "You cranes are all dead. Their necks are broken." A tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that." She started crying. "I don't wanna die," she admitted, sitting next to Obi-Wan. "I know," he said, taking her on his lap as one might a small child. "I know."  
  
Juliet died ten days later. In those ten days, she had hardly come to terms with things. She still wanted to live. Obi-Wan hadn't come to terms, either. He hardly had let her out of his sight, and couldn't stand the thought of her death. She vowed to herself to show no pain and be strong for him. "Please don't be sad," Juliet said. "Everyone has to die. Please. I can't go in peace if you're sad. I heard, on Earth--remember Earth?" "Yeah," Obi-Wan said. Juliet smiled. He was usually pretty uptight about grammar. "Well, I heard that when you die, you become an angel. An angel is like.when you're an angel, you have wings. And you can fly. And you don't have any worries. Romeo called it the sunflower palace. Robin's friends called it heaven. They said no lawyers went there. I don't know what that means, but they all laughed. One of Robin's friends said you get to ride winged horses, and there's lots of clouds, so when you fall of, it doesn't hurt. And Robin's friend said you get to eat caramel in heaven, which is really good. The best part is, you can still go back home sometimes--you can visit people in their dreams. And when you're an angel, people can talk to you, and you can hear them. Every word they say." "I'll talk to you every day," Obi-Wan promised. He could feel her Life-Force leaving. "Please, read what's on my datapad. The password is 'Swordfish'." "I'll read every word," he swore. She nodded. "I know, now, what Life- Force is. It's what makes us who we are, how we are, our flaws and accomplishments. It's our soul." Juliet nodded. "Good." She said. "Hey, who's the Master here?" he joked. "Me," she joked. "Obi-Wan," she said, serious again. "One more promise?" he nodded in agreement. "Look after Esperanza for me." "Of course," he said. "Juliet? Juliet?" She didn't hear. She was already gone.  
  
To Obi-Wan, the idea that Juliet was one with the Force was inconcievable. She was gone from him, and for years he would feel a hole in his heart. As her body was consumed by flames, along with one thousand useless cranes, he cried silently, tears that failed to obscure his vision of his burning Padawan. After the ceremony, he slipped away to be consumed by his sorrows. Qui-Gon finally found him, red-eyed but no longer sobbing. "Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asked. "I want to finish my training." "What are you talking about? The Council--" "I don't care. I was not ready to have a Padawan." "Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said gently, putting his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault." "Qui-Gon, please. If I had just--if I hadn't been so stupid." he broke off as a new wave of guilt overtook him, and again he broke into uncontrollable sobs. It occurred to Qui-Gon in a split second that, had it not been for Juliet, he would not have known what to do just then, but she had taught him, and perhaps, he thought, she had known. It was the first time in nearly ten years that he hugged Obi-Wan. "All right. You can finish your training." Qui-Gon submitted, for Obi- Wan's self esteem. For his soul. So that one day he might meet his Padawan again. In the sunflower palace in the sky. 


	5. Epilogue

Obi-Wan stood calmly in front of the Council. The child in his arms, Juliet's child, didn't move, didn't fidget or cry out. It seemed as though she understood, although she was less than a year old, the importance of this hearing. He glanced down at her and, having thought she was asleep, was startled to see her intense emerald eyes staring at him. Again, he reminded himself to focus, not to let this one get screwed up.  
  
".the importance of this child to you, however, we cannot be sure that this has not affected your judgment," Mace Windu was saying.  
  
"Bant tested her, and Qui-Gon as well. She has been approved for training," Obi-Wan said, trying not to sound too passionate. It was a challenge.  
  
"Perhaps train her you would if not read she was," Yoda said.  
  
"I would do no such thing. Simply because she's important to me does not mean I would train her if she was not ready. That would only hurt and humiliate her." Obi-Wan searched for words, anything to convince the Council.  
  
Mace Windu leaned forward intensely. "Obi-Wan, please try to understand. We know how close you were to your Padawan, but we cannot allow that to affect the training of this girl."  
  
"I won't tell her, if you want," Obi-Wan offered. After all, he could just be taking an interest. Taking an interest didn't make you a parent's former master, didn't mean you were the child's godfather.  
  
"But still take an interest, you would," Yoda said, his eyes wide and penetrating. Obi-Wan was not ready to back down, not now, not ever.  
  
"Master Yoda, with all do respect, I remember Master Tahl taking an interest in Bant. Does that mean that Master Tahl was Bant's godmother?" Obi-wan retorted, as much as he dared retort. Mace sighed and looked at Yoda.  
  
"You can see how this is a very difficult issue Obi-Wan. We understand that you were very hurt when your Padawan died--" why wouldn't he use her name, Obi-Wan wondered "--but this child is not her. I believe your judgment may be affected--"  
  
"Obi!" Mace fell silent, and all eyes fell on tha child.  
  
"You said she could not speak," Plo Koon said accusingly.  
  
"She hasn't spoken before, Master," Obi-Wan said, just as surprised to hear the young girl's voice ring out. She looked up at him with those emerald eyes.  
  
"Thinking right!" she said. Obi-Wan smiled at her.  
  
"Well, I don't suppose her opinion matters much, does it?" Obi-Wan asked, trying not to beam at the child.  
  
"Perhaps it would not hurt to train her," Mace said, somehow convinced by the child's shriek.  
  
"Yes. Train her we will, but tell her you must not. Learn to keep your tongue, you will. As will she."  
  
Once he was alone, Obi-Wan began punching the air in a sad recreation of Juliet's victory dance. Some of the other Padawans saw him, and they laughed. Anza laughed, too, and baffled the masters for the first of many times in her life. 


End file.
